Aerosol dispenser with spray nozzle at bottom thereof

ABSTRACT

An aerosol-type dispenser for dispensing aerosol spray into low places. A product container has a base through which separate product and propellant passages extend to an aspirating nozzle directed outwardly of the base, preferably laterally. A propellant cartridge is positioned within the container and movable vertically for actuating the valve means in the bottom thereof to release propellant into the propellant passage. The upper end of the propellant cartridge extends out through the top of the container so that finger pressure can be exerted thereon to actuate the valve means.

United States Patent Charles D. Chambers I Huntington, Conn. [21] App1.N0. 812,146

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1952 Schwartz......,......'....

[72] inventor 2 m 1 9 1 My 2 2 2,733,102 1/1956 Croce........

3,326,469 6/1967 Abplanalp....

3,388,838 6/1968 Mai-chant..;..................

FOREIGN PATENTS [22] Filed Apr. 1, 1969 [45] Patented Jan. 12, 1971 [73] Assignee Geig, Chemical Corporation Greenburgh, N.Y.

a corporation of New York 420,711 12/1934 Great Britain................

Primary Examiner-Donald F. Norton Attomey-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack [54] AEROSOL DISPENSER WITH SPRAY NOZZLE AT BOTTOM THEREOF 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[50] Field ofSearch.............

PATENTEB ml 1231s saw 1 or 3 FIG. I INVENTOR CHARLES D- CHAMBERS WW $4 5' M ATTORNEY5 mimmm zmn 5 4 6 snm 2 0P3v INVENTOR CHARLES D. CHAMBERS ATTORNEYS .PATENTEUJAMZIQII I 35 4 0 sum 3 or 3 INVENTOR CHARLES D.CHAMBERS ATTORNEYS AEROSOL DISPENSER WITH SPRAY NOZZLE AT BOTTOM THEREOF This invention relates to an aerosol-type dispenser for fluent products, and more particularly relates to such a dispenser in which the product container has a propellant cartridge within it which keeps the propellant separate from the product to be dispensed.

Aerosol dispensers in which the propellant is kept separate from the product to be dispensed are known. However, most, if not all, of these dispensers have the valve controlling means, such as a push button, and the spray nozzle through which the product is sprayed at the part of the container which is normally the top. In the normal use of such a dispenser, the dispenser is held in an upright position with the push button at the top, and as the push button is depressed, the product to be dispensed is sprayed laterally of the dispenser from the nozzle.

The construction of many such dispensers is such that if they are turned upside down, the propellant or the fluent product to be dispensed cannot reach the necessary openings in the valve means controlling the flow of these materials, and the dispenser is inoperative. Other such dispensers, on the other hand, are operative in the inverted position, but in the inverted position have the push button which actuates the dispensing means on the bottom of the inverted dispenser, so that it must be raised in an upward direction by a force exerted from a position beneath the dispenser.

When it is necessary to spray a product to be dispensed into a low spot, such as along a base board, or into a corner adjacent a floor, the problems involved in inverting a conventional dispenser and moving the push button thereof in'an upward direction are such that very often the spray cannot be accurately and easily directed into such a low confined place.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser of the type set forth above which has the parts thereof so arranged that the means for actuating the valve means is depressed downwardly, while at the same time the spray of material to be dispensed comes out of the bottom of the dispenser and is directed in a direction laterally of the dispenser.

This object is achieved by providing a dispenser having a product container the bottom of which is closed by a base through which separate passages are provided for propellant and for the product to be dispensed. An aspirating noule is provided at the end of these passages which is directed laterally of the base. The product passage is connected with the interior of the product container, and the propellent passage is connected through valve means with the interior of a propellent cartridge which is positioned within the product container. The propellent cartridge extends through the top of the product container, and is movable vertically within the product container to actuate the valve means for controlling escape of propellent to the propellent passage in the base of the product container.

The invention will be described in greater detail in the following specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation view of the dispenser according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the dispenser shown in F IG. 1 with the parts in the nondispensing position; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the parts in the dispensing position.

As seen in the drawings, the dispenser comprises a product container holding a fluent product P, here shown as a liquid, but which can also be a finely divided solid material which is capable of being aspirated. A base 11 closes the bottom of the product container 10. On the base 11 within the product contain 10 is a column 110 which extends upwardly into the container. Positioned on the column is a valve housing 20, which in turn supports a propellent cartridge 14 filled with propellent 15.

The product container has a top 12 which has an opening 13 in the center thereof. The upper closed end of the propellent cartridge projects through the opening 13 on the top 12 of the product container 10. This end of the propellent cartridge 14 is covered by a cup-shaped end cover 16. The end cover 16 has a flange l7 projecting outwardly from the lower end thereof and within the product container 10. Positioned on the top surface of the flange 17 is a gasket 18, which, when the end cover 16 and propellent cartridge 14 are in the uppermost position thereof, engages the under surface of the top 12 of the product container so as to close and seal the opening 13. On the outside peripheral surface of the end cover 16 are threads 19 which are adapted to be engaged by a cap (not shown). The cap can be screwed down so as to engage the upper surface of the top 12 and thus .hold the propellent cartridge 14 in the raised position with the gasket 18 sealed against the under surface of top 12. Removal of the cap frees v the end cover 16 and the propellent cartridge 14 to move downwardly to a limited extent into the interior of the product container 10. v

i The valve housing 20 has a recess 30 in the upper end thereof which accommodates the lower end of the propellent cartridge 14 in propellent tight relationship. An annular collar 31 projects upwardly from the edge of the recess 30 to engage the neck of the propellent cartridge 14 in a propellent tight manner and the top of propellent cartridge 14 is sealed against gasket 41 in the bottom of recess 30 so as to prevent the product P from leaking into the recess 30.

The propellent cartridge has a valve means in the neck thereof. The valve means comprises a valve body 21 having a hollow center and a flange 22 thereon seated in a seat 23 in the upper part of the valve housing 20 at the base of the recess 30 beneath the gasket 41. A valve stem 32 extends through said hollow center of the valve body 21, and has a flange 32a thereon. A spring 24 is positioned between the flange 32a and a ledge 21a in the interior of the valve 21, which spring 24 urges the valve stem outwardly of the vale body, i.e. downwardly in the normal position of the dispenser. Positioned at the lower end of the valve body 21 is a high pressure obturating gasket 26 and the lower end of the valve stem 32 has a hollow recess 32b therein with'a lateral opening 32c opening through the wall of the stem 32. In the normal position of the valve stem 32, i.e. in the downwardly urged position, the opening 320 opens at a point between the two faces of the obturating gasket 26, and is obturated thereby. The recess 32b in the stem 32 is aligned with a propellent passage 28 in the column 110.

Secured in the lower end of the bore 20a in the valve housing 20 is a product flow guide member 37 having a flange 370 on the upper end thereof bearing against the obturating gasket 26 and holding it against the bottom of the valve body 21. The flange 37a has an aperture therein through which passes the valve stem 32. A chamber 37b is provided within the member 37 which is open inwardly toward the valve stem 32. A plurality of passages 370 are provided along the outer circumference of the member 37, and these passages open into the chamber 37b through openings 37d in the member 37. The passages open out of the bottom of the valve housing 20 through apertures 38a in a retaining ring 38 fitted into the'bottom of the bore 20a. A low pressure obturating gasket 39 tightly surrounding the column lla is held against the member 37 by the retaining ring 38. Positioned within the propellent cartridge 14 is a'stand pipe 22 which extends upwardly from the valve body 21 to a position near the top of the propellent cartridge. This prevents liquid propellent 15 from reaching the valve means. The end of valve stem 32 projects downwardly from the valve means into a further recess 30a within column extending upwardly from base 11, and fits snugly in said recess 30a. The arrangement is such that when the propellent car'- tridge 14 is moved downwardly, the valve housing 20 moves downwardly, while the valve stem 32 is held in a fixed position due to the abutment of the end thereof against the bottom of the recess 30a. This opens the valve means to permit flow of propellent out of the propellent cartridge 14.

The propellent passage 28 extends downwardly through the column 11a and then laterally through the base 11 so as to open out of the peripheraledge of the base. Positioned in the propellent passage 28 is a Venturi nozzle 27.

A product passage 29 is provided in the column 11a separate from the propellent passage, and opens laterally between the faces of ti." gasket 39 when the valve means is in the normal or nondispensing condition. The product passage 29 extends downwardly through the column 11a and then laterally through the base 11 so as to open into a chamber 29a surrounding the Venturi nozzle 27.

With the parts in the nondispensing positions as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the product passage 28 is sealed off from the chamber 37b by the obturating gasket 39. Chamber 37b will normally be filled with product to be dispensed, which flows into the chamber through the apertures 38a in the retaining ring 38, through the passages 37c and openings 37d. Likewise the propellent within the cartridge 14 is sealed off fromthe propellent passage 28 by the obturating gasket 26.

In operation, with the cap removed, pressure is exerted on the end cover 16 to move the propellent cartridge 14 downwardly. The extent of this downward movement will be limited by the abutment of the lower edge of the gasket 39 against the shoulder 11b on column 11a. At this point, the lowermost screw thread 19 will still be spaced above the bottom 12 of the product container so that the gasket 18 is spaced downwardly from the bottom 12 and there is a clear passage from the interior of the product container 10 through the opening 13 to the space around the dispenser. Air will be drawn in through this passage to occupy the space left by the dispensed product P. With the valve stem 32 held against movement by its abutment against column 11a and propellent cartridge at the bottom position, the opening 32c and the end of product passage 29 will be opened, and propellent will flow through the propellent passage 28 and through the Venturi nozzle 27. This will aspirate product P through the product passage 29 to the chamber 29a, from which the product will be drawn into the stream of propellent flowing through the Venturi nozzle 27. A stream of product will thus be sprayed laterally from the bottom of the dispensing device when a pressure is exerted from the top of the device.

It will be readily understood how the device can be used. If

it is desired to spray along a low spot, e.g. along the bottom of 1 a base board, the dispensing device can be held with the base 11 only slightly above the floor, and pressure exerted by a finger against the top of the end cap 16. The pressure is easily exerted from the top of the device, yet the streamof product to be. dispensed is sprayed laterally from a point just above the level of the bottom of the container, and can easily be directed along the base board.

We claim:

1. An aerosol-type dispenser comprising a product container having a base closing the bottom thereof, said base having separate product and propellent passages therein, the propellent passage opening out of the base and having a nozzle means therein with which one end of the product passage is in communication for aspirating the product into the propellent flowing in said passage, the other end of the product passage opening into the interior of the product container, a valve housing in the bottom of the container having propellent valve means therein in communication with the propellent passage in the base, a propellent cartridge with which the valve means is operatively associated and vertically movably mounted for actuating said valve means, the upper end of said product container having an opening therein slightly larger than the propellent cartridge through which the propellent cartridge projects, and sealing means at said opening for sealing said opening when said cartridge is in the raised position.

2. An aerosol-type dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which said propellent passage opens laterally out of the periphery of said base.

3. An aerosol-type dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which said propellent cartridge has a flange thereon within said 7 l per surface of product container and a sealing gasket on the u said flange which seals against the under side 0 of said container when said cartridge is in the raised position.

4. An aerosol-type dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which the end of said propellent cartridge extending through the upper end of said product container has a cap thereon, said cap having a peripheral wall with external screw threads thereon adapted to have a cover threaded thereon and against the upper end of the product container for holding the cartridge in the raised position.

he upper end 

1. An aerosol-type dispenser comprising a product container having a base closing the bottom thereof, said base having separate product and propellent passages therein, the propellent passage opening out of the base and having a nozzle means therein with which one end of the product passage is in communication for aspirating the product into the propellent flowing in said passage, the other end of the product passage opening into the interior of the product container, a valve housing in the bottom of the container having propellent valve means therein in communication with the propellent passage in the base, a propellent cartridge with which the valve means is operatively associated and vertically movably mounted for actuating said valve means, the upper end of said product container having an opening therein slightly larger than the propellent cartridge through which the propellent cartridge projects, and sealing means at said opening for sealing said opening when said cartridge is in the raised position.
 2. An aerosol-type dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which said propellent passage opens laterally out of the periphery of said base.
 3. An aerosol-type dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which said propellent cartridge has a flange thereon within said product container and a sealing gasket on the upper surface of said flange which seals against the under side of the upper end of said container when said cartridge is in the raised position.
 4. An aerosol-type dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which the end of said propellent cartridge extending through the upper end of said product container has a cap thereon, said cap having a peripheral wall with external screw threads thereon adapted to have a cover threaded thereon and against the upper end of the product container for holding the cartridge in the raised position. 